The present invention is directed to the field of emergency rescues. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a handle that can readily be assembled to an outboard motor to allow it to be readily carted across rugged terrain for attachment to an inflatable craft to enable a water rescue.
The life of an EMT (emergency medical technician) would be greatly simplified if people would restrict their activities to choking on a chunk of beef or stepping off a dock in shallow water in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, people go in search of unseen beauty and wind up stranding themselves in places that are as remote as they are beautiful. Accordingly, it often requires the EMT to trek across long stretches of difficult terrain to access the edge of the lake (or other body of water) the victim finds themselves stranded in; and, if this was not taxing enough, it is often necessary to cart an outboard motor and an inflatable rescue boat to allow the EMT to reach his stranded rescuee.
Carrying a conventional outboard motor is a bit like wrestling a giant slug: there really is no good place to get your hands on one and, due to their propensity to spill fuel (an oil, gas mixture), they are equally slippery. It is among the objects of the present invention to equip a conventional outboard motor with handles to enable it to readily be carried by two persons and, in a pinch, by one person (depending on the size and weight of the motor). It will be appreciated that while the handle of the present invention has been disclosed as particularly useful for EMT rescues, it can also be of use in removing an outboard motor for servicing, installation, remounting, and the like.
The present invention comprises a two-piece telescoping handle assembly for attachment to an external thread on a tilt-tube of an outboard motor, the two-piece telescoping handle comprising: a) a first handle sleeve having an internal thread which is secured to the external thread of the tilt-tube on the outboard motor; b) a second handle securement rod for insertion within the tilt-tube of the outboard motor; c) securement means for attaching the first handle sleeve to the second handle securement rod. Preferably, the securement means comprises an external thread on the handle securement rod and a mating internal thread within the first handle sleeve. Most preferably, the internal thread within the first handle sleeve comprises two lengths of mating thread allowing the external thread on the second handle securement thread to be secured in a first retracted position and a second extended position. A rubber grommet is secured in a groove in a proximate end of the second handle securement rod to prevent the first handle sleeve from becoming dislodged from the proximate end of the second handle securement rod. It will be appreciated that one telescoping handle assembly is secured to each end of the threaded tilt-tube to facilitate carting the outboard motor by one, or more preferably, two people.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.